Valentine's Day

This post is by Rev. Kim Smith, pastor at Mt. Tamalpais UMC:

Today is Valentine's Day. The day after Ash Wednesday. In all my years of ministry, I'm not sure I've ever known the two holidays to coincide so closely.It is ironic, to some degree. Valentine's Day is one of the most commercial holidays we celebrate. The number of flowers ordered or purchased for Valentine's Day is only topped by the Mother's Day purchases. Ash Wednesday, on the other hand, is one of the few traditional Christian holidays that has not been taken over by popular culture. Unlike Christmas and Easter, Ash Wednesday is one of those holidays of the church that is still a "holi-day," a "holy day." (Ever seen an Ash Wednesday card in the store?!)  Even as I still wash the ashes from my skin and out from under my nails, having anointed many people last night, I'm signing Valentine cards and creating Cupid-surprise gifts for some children in my neighborhood.

Now, that may be the connection between the two observances: bound by relationships in love.  As I create little Valentine's Day gifts, it is out of real love for those people to whom I give gifts. Last night, sitting in a circle by candlelight with my faith family, I was overwhelmed by the love I have for those people, for my church, for God who had gathered us together.  Imagine-- those folks trust me to smear a bit of ash on their foreheads, trusting that somehow in that connection, we find the Spirit of God in Jesus, in whose name we worship.  Imagine, that we are able to turn over our burdens and cares, write them on a slip of paper, watch that paper burn and have the smoke 'rise up to God.'  Those are the ashes, mingled with the ash of last year's dried palm branches, that graced our faces and hands.  All our cares and woes, ash, turned into blessing.  That is the love that will not let us go.  The love to God who gives beauty to ashes, new life from the dead.